The invention relates to a deodorant composition, e.g. for liquid roll-on or stick, employing only natural bactericides for personal use.
To be effective, a personal deodorant must, of course, reduce odor. It is known that odor in the axillary vault is caused by bacteria metabolizing the rich supply of proteins and lipids supplied by the apocrine sweat glands. The bacterial flora bound in the human axilla (or armpit) that are responsible for odor generation have been identified as gram positive lipophilic diphtheroids and micrococci. The diphtheroids produce the typical pungent axillary odor and the micrococci produce a sweaty isovaleric acid type odor. The moisture and minerals secreted by the eccrine sweat glands serve to enrich and replenish axilla flora.
In order for a deodorant to work properly, it must:
A) Cling tenaciously to the skin and resist washing away with eccrine sweat,
B) Sufficiently reduce populations of diphtheroids and micrococci and their subsequent metabolic end products, and
C) Mask the presence of androgen steroids (produced by bacteria) which are detectable by the human nose at a concentration of a few parts per million.
The use of natural bactericides is known in the art. For example, Kabara U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,775 and Hoppe et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,694 describe lauroyl monoesters of glycerin and synergistic mixtures having antibacterial activity. Also, EP Patent Publication No. 376761, German Patent Nos. 23 54 517, 23 51 927 and 23 51 864 and United Kingdom Patent Publication No. 1,475,226 describe the deodorizing effects of lichen acid, and especially usnic acid.